Friday, July 31, 2009

A Job Gone Wrong

-Recap of recorded session #2-

Realizing that the DM is busy, I thought I might try my hand at the recap as I have little going on at work today. Please go easy on me, it's my first time, and as always if you see a discrepancy or something that was missed please do let me know.

With the miraculous reincarnation of Pudge who is now Luethar again, the party finds themselves outside The Longest Mile once more. Still undecided about what to do with the ships log that they had successfully recovered from the Widow MonTorrey's house they hold a quick meeting outside the inn. Luethar asks to see the book and after a slight hesitation it is handed over for him to examine. The halfling begins his examination as the rest of the group continues to discuss how they will move forward. Before long Luethar discerns a code hidden within the old, tattered pages and excitedly reads a snippet of the message, "the treasure-". Immediately the DM's best laid plan is dashed as the group votes to keep the book and attempt to defuse Black Rhett's impending tirade when it comes.

Luethar, being in his new, new body has not yet been seen with the party and is asked to stay behind in the parties covered wagon while Raell, Cor'Nal, and Ademar go inside the inn. They choose to get rooms at The Longest Mile and plan to rest the remainder of the day while they wait to hear of Ryan's fate. A mere hour after they arrive at the inn Flanders summons the group for a meeting with Black Rhett.

Rhett is quick to business after demanding that everyone be seated. He is direct to the point asking if the mission was a success. The companions feign ignorance of the whereabouts of the ships log saying that perhaps the previous party found it and never delivered. Raell attempts to shift the subject, saying that the mansion was full of undead including a banshee. Rhett is unconvinced of any of this and blames the part for the burning of the house and the failed mission, suspecting that the party is holding out on him. All attempts at deflecting blame and making compromises with Rhett fall on deaf ears. Rhett quickly tires of the meeting and promises a slow and painful death to them all (especially Cor'Nal) if he finds out that they have his book. Following this most of the group is promptly ushered out of the room by Cypher, Rhett's orc bodyguard. The exception to this is Raell who pokes his head back into Rhett's meeting room long enough to leave him with 300gp as a good will offering. Raell hopes this will diffuse Rhett and leave the group with a window for future work. Rhett is caught off guard by the gesture stating that it is either "stupid or revolutionary".

The group decides to pack up and move to the west side of Henutsen in order to put some distance between the angry guild leader and them. Raell, not wanting to eat at Low Skye again convinces the group to try Tread Light instead. Ademar readily agrees stating that he will not sleep in "that crap hole again". The group collects their belongings and travels to Tread Light, opting to leave Loomis at Low Skye as his room is paid in full and, the companions joke, he has probably found happiness in the arms of Neesa. Raell decides to go to the Temple of Myrrdin to check on Ryan, the elves go to Tread Light to secure rooms while Luethar remains in the wagon reading and attempting to keep from being recognized as part of the party.

********** It is about this time that the DM berates himself for mentioning anything of a secret code or treasure as his plan goes completely off track****************

Tread Light the elves find, is a middle of the road inn/tavern although the help is a little strange. They first encounter Stuckpig, a handicapped young man who walks with a heavy limp and a lame arm. He seems thrilled to see customers and promptly hollers for Tink. Tink is a thin and worn looking man of middle age who apparently runs the establishment. He takes their orders for food and collects for the meals and rooms before disappearing into the back. Stuckpig brings out drinks for the elves which includes wine much to Ademars delight, then promptly begins a conversation with the two asking all manner of questions and giving many answers to the pairs questions (after being slipped a couple silver of course). For all of sympathy Stuckpig's appearance conjures the elves are alarmed his knowledge of slavery and slavers within the town. Although they are friendly with the table boy they regard him with a great deal of suspicion. They do find that Farkas Winslow has visited the tavern recently which is encouraging. Ademar and Cor'Nal also pry a bit of information out of Stuckpig on The Blackglove XIII, another secret and apparently dangerous organization in Henutsen.

At the Temple of Myrrdin, Raell is informed that nothing has changed with Ryan and this will probably not change until tomorrow. Raell decides to sit for a while at the temple apparently in spiritual support of his fallen brother-at-arms. The half-elf barely sits down before Cypher shows up to escort Raell back to The Longest Mile for a private meeting with Black Rhett. Apparently he left a better impression than the rest of the group and Rhett gives Raell a chance to earn back his 300 gold. All he has to do is visit a farmer who has been losing livestock and remedy his malady. He is given strict instructions that if he employs his friends on this mission that he not mention Black Rhett as being involved. Raell agrees and leaves the inn, going straight to the farmer McMartin’s house at the south west side of town.

While Raell and the elves are doing their thing, Luethar quickly becomes bored and wanders over to the east side of town to see what Henutsen offers in the realm of magic. He eventually comes to a three story tower, the tower of Gaen Baliol an aging mage with weathered skin and hair that is more grey than black. Luethar asks if he has any items for sale which Gaen has none. The halfling settles for having his cloak identified (+2 cloak of charisma) and his fortune read. During the palm reading Gaen notices that Luethar has seen death before and no longer inhabits his original body. He also gives a cryptic description of his future which includes a dangerous one eyed dwarf that one of Luethar’s company will fall to, a change in Ryan, and the potential for riches. Gaen also notes that his companions do not always work in his best interest and Luethar should be wary of them.

After eating their meal the elves take their leave of Stuckpig and retreat to their rooms. Cor’Nal takes up the ships log from the Crimson Chimera and promptly shape changes into a hawk then, flys out of his window straight to Snoam Schlabach where he leaves the book in safe keeping with Derris MacBrady. The druid leaves a purse with 100 gold in it as payment for Derris’ services. This journey will take most of the day.

In his conversation with farmer McMartin Raell quickly surmises that he is dealing with one (if not more) owlbear which probably is living in a cave near the farm. He decides that he will need help and promptly seeks out his companions at Treadlight. Ademar and Luethar thinking that they should be fine without the druid on this side quest and, having nothing better to do, readily agree to help Raell. This will prove to be a major mistake.

********** a great deal happens next but in the interest of time I am forced to pear it down a great deal **********************

Around dusk the group (minus Cor’Nal and Ryan) goes to the farm and tethers an injured lamb outside the cave in hopes of luring the owlbear out of hiding. This only brings in a pair of dire wolves which are eventually killed before they can eat the lamb. After regrouping they decide to enter the cave as their trap did not work and darkness is closing around them. Inside the cave they are attacked by carrion crawlers which prove to be a larger threat than expected. The following encounter brings in several dark winged creatures which float about the ceiling before descending on the companions. This encounter decimates the party laying low Raell’s wolf companion Salem twice before Ademar and Raell both retreat into a cave too small for the monsters to follow. Luethar, becomes separated from the group and fears that both the ranger and rogue are dead. Knowing that he will likely not survive on his own the halfling flees the cave and runs directly back to the inn. Luethar brings the druid, just back from his long flight to Snoam Schlabach, back to the cave in hopes that they might save somebody from the massacre. With the help of the druid the flying ray-like creatures are eventually vanquished, but not before Salem is killed. Following this Luethar asks for a moments rest so that he can prepare some spells. He is ignored by Raell who charges on deeper into the cave where he encounters two owlbears. The ranger charges headlong into battle and is handily defeated by the two powerful monsters before the remaining (and heavily injured) party members can intervene. The owlbears are finally defeated but it is a hollow victory as the party is left with two more dead members (Raell and Salem) and the remaining, living members are near death.

The companions scoop up their dead, cut the heads from the owlbears and leave the cave. Heading for the inn they leave a great deal of the cave complex unexplored and a lot of speculation as to what will happen with Raell now dead.

12 comments:

  1. Wow Erich, nicely done. Um, you're hired. I will be expecting you to continue recapping our sessions until further notice.

    Did anyone notice the part about the "change in Ryan" from the conversation Luethar had with Gaen Baliol? Now that our most recent session has finished only hours ago: Did you think the change would be so literal?

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  2. I really don't see anything wrong other than the dwarf is named Farkas.

    Good job.

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  3. Corrections have been made. Thanks Jim!

    I had not foreseen the particular change in Ryan that occurred. I had thought perhaps, it would be a change in his strict adherence to his barbaric ways. You definitely caught me off guard on what really transpired!

    The recaps are a lot of work but I actually enjoyed doing it. Feel free to "employ" me on this task again if need-be. My bill is in the mail!!

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  4. OH! One more thing. Salem did not die until the Owlbears. The Cloaker things almost killed him but I was able to save him in time. Not that it really matters, dead is dead.

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  5. The recaps are a lot of work but I actually enjoyed doing it. Feel free to "employ" me on this task again if need-be. My bill is in the mail!!

    I hear you. I will attempt to get the next one up but I may very well employ, so to speak, your services again if I get caught up in other things.

    I like to do them myself because I will occasionally focus on areas of the session that maybe got overlooked by the PC's who were focused on what they deemed more important matters (like loot) and less important than more pertinant things to me that I may have failed to get across as a DM (like plot). Things a second party recap writer wouldn't, couldn't and frankly shouldn't know. Plus I can stick my revisionist history in there whenever I want, yay!

    That being said; I'll keep the full-time duties but leave you on-call for emergencies. How's that?

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  6. Works for me.

    btw...

    LOOT!!!! What could be more important than that?

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  7. Sounds like E. was channeling Nails for a second there.

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  8. Ademar, very well done on the recap. TMBTS left it in capable hands I see. You did very well, and I thank you heartly.

    Also, the only thing better than loot is better, larger, sparkley, more proliferous magical loot. Do not think I remain idle on your behalf. While the DM is in deep thought, I gently whisper on the softly moving breeze "loooooot, more loooot." :)

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  9. I like when she whispers... It tickles me ears.

    Though I never hears the soft-spoken words that part from her pouty lips I always close me eyes and focus on the breathy sensation that always gives me the goose flesh...

    Wait, am I on the right message board? Is this "HotSexyTankardWenches.com"? No? Oh, sorry.

    My bad.

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  10. Now we just have to wait for the next recap to be posted...

    And the promised Jerrak Oakflame story...

    Oh, and also the much anticipated Vrock story...

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  11. Wethiel, keep up the good work, your power of suggestion is beginning to have an effect on TMBTS!!

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  12. (wink to Ademar)

    Apparently not as much as I would like. I have not been able to get a single new entry from him, and I am a bit vexed. (slight lowering of eyes) He has much on his mind. I will do my best though.

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